


Mission: Arthur

by supercalvin



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Military
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-30
Updated: 2013-07-30
Packaged: 2017-12-21 20:17:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/904451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supercalvin/pseuds/supercalvin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Merlin’s in the RAF, Arthur falls in love, and Morgana’s smug.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mission: Arthur

**Author's Note:**

> I was going to watch ‘Some Like it Hot’, but you know, I got distracted and started watching soldier coming home videos and crying…so here it goes.  
> NO BETA. Please tell me if there is an issue.

“So what do you do?” Arthur asked the pale dark haired man Morgana had introduced him to. He couldn’t hear his name over the chatter of the party, but he was attractive (extremely, so).

The man paused before he answered with a shrug. “I’m in the RAF.”

Arthur swallowed down his drink, clearly trying not to choke on it. Arthur should not have been so surprised; the man wasn’t out of shape, the complete opposite in fact. He was fit and built, but he was still lanky and not the typical muscular soldier. Arthur really shouldn’t stereotype like that, he knew there were all sorts of people in the military now (including women).

“The RAF?”

“Yeah” The man played with the condensation on his drink. “I fly things for the Queen.” He gave a cocky smile, and Arthur just about gave up on trying to breath. He didn’t care if his sister had introduced this man to him, he didn’t care that she would hang it over his head for the rest of his life; he wanted to see more of him.

“What was your name again?”

The man gave a blinding smile and held out his hand, “Merlin Emrys.” 

:’’:

“You seemed to hit it off with Merlin.” Morgana smirked into her tiny cappuccino cup.

“Piss off, harpy.” Arthur grumbled into his tea.

:’’:

Merlin hummed against Arthur’s lips. “Hm. You kiss like you’re on a mission.”

Arthur pulled away. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” He didn’t mean to sound so offended but-

“Oh shut up, you prat.” Merlin dove in for another kiss, capturing Arthur’s lips with his teeth. “I _like_ it.” he sucked on Arthur’s upper lips. “Makes me feel wanted.” He licked Arthur’s teeth.

Arthur groaned and decided he was going to plan out an entire mission that involved Merlin if it kept him kissing like that.

:’’:

“How long have you two been dating?”

“Shut up Morgana.”

“ _Three_ months?”

“Shut it.”

“How long was your longest relationship?”

“Morgana really-“

“Less than _one_ month? Wow, _that’s astonishing_.”

“I will kill you I don’t care if you’re my sister.”

“And _who_ introduced you?”

“Morgana, SHUT UP”

:’’:

“Arthur.”

Arthur stopped mid step as he passed his father’s office, not expecting its doors to be open or Uther to even be inside.

“Yes, father?” Arthur started rearranging the plans he had for the next twenty minutes in case Uther was going to give a long speech.

“I see you have a ‘plus one’ for the charity ball.” Arthur flushed, and he could see that Uther was completely aware of his awkwardness. Arthur had never brought a date to any event, mainly because he had never been able to keep a boyfriend for longer than a week.

Uther was hesitant for what must have been the first time in his whole life. They had talked about Arthur’s sexuality when Arthur was in college but it had never gotten past awkward _ohs_ and _ums_. “I was not aware you were in a relationship.” Uther raised his eyebrows. Arthur had never brought home any of his boyfriends. “Who are you bringing?”

“Um. Well…His name’s Merlin Emrys. I think-” Arthur changed that sentence in case he started waxing poetry about Merlin’s eyes or something equally stupid and girly. “He’s a nice man.”

Arthur cursed himself. _A nice man? Very heart warming Arthur, smooth_.

“Well. As long as he’s presentable and you approve of him. I hope to meet him.”

Arthur just nodded and quickly exited the office. He thought about the conversation on his way back to his own office, and Arthur thought that maybe Uther wasn’t that bad at parenting. He was insensitive, over bearing, and put too much pressure on Arthur’s shoulders, but he only wanted Arthur’s partner to be a presentable man who made Arthur happy, and that was leaps and bounds ahead of some people who didn’t care who their son liked as long as they were female. Arthur would remember that next time his father told him he needed to redo a report for the tenth time.

:’’:

“How many hours?” Arthur whispered.

The pair of them were under miles of sheets that protected them from the real world. Arthur held Merlin’s waist, and let their legs intertwine. It was a Wednesday night…actually it was early Thursday morning. They usually reserved their late night/earlier morning escapades for the weekends, but tonight was different. Arthur had taken the next couple days off work, even if his father had yelled at him for a good thirty minutes about responsibility.

Merlin rolled over to face Arthur. It was dawn and the sun wasn’t even lighting up the world yet. Merlin lifted his head to see over Arthur’s, to look at the alarm clock.

“I have to leave by 6.” he answered quietly.

“What time is it?”

Merlin paused like he really didn’t want to answer. He ran the tips of his fingers over Arthur’s face. He traced his chin and his jaw, rubbing the stubble that was forming there. “Oh-Four-Hundred.” Merlin answered Arthur’s question without talking above a whisper.

“Stay here for a while.” Arthur grabbed onto Merlin’s wrist, firmly keeping those long fingers on Arthur’s jaw.

“I wasn’t planning on doing anything else.” Merlin smiled, but it didn’t make it to his eyes.

:’’:

They were in the airport, and Merlin was dressed in his greens.       

“See you in a while?” Arthur tried to keep his voice even. He wasn’t sure if he convinced Merlin. Arthur didn’t want to think that ‘a while’ was in eight months.

“Yeah…” Merlin gave Arthur’s hand one last squeeze then he let go of Arthur’s of it. All of sudden Arthur felt like energy was being sucked out of him; as if he had run ten miles in a single second.

“Wait.”

Merlin had already been turning around but he stopped to face Arthur again.

Arthur pulled Merlin close one more time and held his face in his hands. He pressed his forehead to Merlin’s. Arthur whispered, “I’m going to miss you.” He swallowed, “I-“

Merlin grabbed his hand and squeezed it. It was a signal for Arthur to stop talking. “I know.” he whispered and nodded his head.

Arthur looked into his eyes, and saw that Merlin did know, and that he felt the same. That was enough. There was no need to make this hurt any more.

:’’:

“Morgana, I really don’t want to hear it tonight. I’m not in the mood.” Arthur growled into the phone.

Morgana hadn’t even said anything when Arthur answered her call. But the fact that he answered her call at all, meant something.

“Want me to come over there with some bread and wine? I baked some fresh today and I’ll raid Leon’s cabinet just for you.”

Arthur sighed. “Yes please.”

:’’:

“I’ve never had someone to come home to.” Merlin said to Gwaine while he settled into his bunk. “I had my mum, but that was about it. I feel like I have a lot more responsibility now.”

Gwaine didn’t laugh like he usually did at Merlin’s emotional rants. Instead he looked down at his boots and started to untie and retie them, as if they had been done incorrectly. “You have to come home for them, Merls. You’re mum or dad is one thing, I get that, but having someone like a partner back home…It feels like eternity.”

“Gwaine I had no idea you were so romantic. Who’s the lady?”

Gwaine blushed, something that never happened. “You don’t know everything about me Emrys. She might just come after me into that desert if I got myself killed. She might take it out on you, so watch yourself.”

Merlin rolled his eyes.

Merlin tried not to think about Arthur or his mum.

He tried not to think how Arthur would react to his death. How Arthur would cry. He never wanted to see that if he could help it. He never wanted to hurt Arthur, and like hell he was going to be the reason to make Arthur cry.

He tried very not to think about how Arthur would eventually move on and find someone else.

:’’:

“Hey, is Gwaine driving you insane yet?” Arthur said as soon as he heard Merlin pick up the phone.

“Hello.” Merlin’s voice sounded only slightly weary when he answered. “And yes.” Merlin raised his voice for someone (Arthur assumed Gwaine) to hear him. “If he doesn’t get his smelly-ass clothes off my bunk I’m going to throw all of them out of my helo and he will have to report to Captain Kilgarragh starkers!”

Arthur heard Gwaine’s muffled yell “Only so you can see my perfect ass!”

“You get near his ass and I’ll personally kill him.”

“Wow possessive much?” Merlin mocked.

“ _Very_.” Arthur admitted without shame. “You’re still mine.”

“Pretty sure you’re mine. I’ll write it on your ass in case you forget.”

“How the hell is that going help me remember if I can’t see it?”

“Keep all the other men away. ‘Property of Merlin Emrys: Stay away unless you want half my magazine embedded in your chest.’”

“Only half?”

“I have to save up for the next bloke. You’re very pretty, you might attract more boyfriend-stealers. It’s the blue eyes, blonde hair, and chiseled cheekbones.”

“ _Chiseled_ cheekbones?”

“Give me a break. It’s been over a month, I have to get creative with my fantasies sometimes.”

“Oh god, please don’t build me up while you’re over there. I really don’t need you coming home and finding out I’m not carved out of marble, like David or something.

“Forget David, you’re way fitter.”

“And all yours, right?”

“Mine. And don’t you forget it. I’ll have to mark up that pretty ass if you do.”

:’’:

“Why are you so chipper?” Gwaine growled. He had his feet above his head resting on the bunk that was on top of his. His socks were strewn across Merlin’s bed, and for once Merlin didn’t care.

“Guess what I just heard?”

Gwaine narrowed his eyes and set down his feet. “What?”

“We’re going home a month early.” Merlin felt like his face might crack in half if he smiled any harder.

Gwaine’s eyes widened, then his matched Merlin’s smile with one of his own.

:’’:

“You’ve got something on your face.” Gwaine pointed to Merlin.

“What?” He started rubbing his cheek uselessly.

Gwaine started chuckling. “You’ve got some ‘I have a plan’ on your face. So cough it up. What is it?”

Merlin glared at him and took a drink out of his canteen.

“Come on! I want to help!”

“You don’t even know what it is!”

“So? I’ve gone in on a mission with less information.” That was a complete exaggeration on Gwaine’s part, but Merlin ignored him.

“I want to surprise Arthur when I get home.”

Gwaine’s smile turned into a devious smirk. “How can I help?”

:’’:

“Hello?”

“Is this Morgana?”

“Yes, who is this?”

“My name’s Gwaine, I’m a friend of Merlin’s.”

“Oh Gwaine! You’re the one terrorizing my brother and his boyfriend!”

“All filthy lies!”

“Aw, and I had such high hopes.”

Gwaine laughed, “Oh, this is going to be fun.”

“What is?”

“Merlin has a plan, and we need your help.”

“…I’m listening.”

:’’:

“Morgana I hate your parties.”

“You do not, you liar. You met Merlin at one of my parties.”

“I am completely convinced you would have boxed him up and sent him to me if I refused to meet him, because you are just that stubborn.”

“Oh don’t be that way, brother. It will be fun. Freya will be there, and Leon’s home from his business trip. You need to socialize more.”

“Just because I don’t go to parties every weekend-”

“I already called you a taxi. Now you have to go.”

“Morgana!”

“Arthur!” she mocked.

He huffed and mumbled something about getting his coat and being there at eight.

:’’:

The party wasn’t all that crowded, not compared to some of Morgana’s ‘get togethers.’ Leon was there, home from his trip to Beijing. He was telling a story about an encounter he had there, and Arthur was beginning to enjoy himself, which he would never tell his sister.

:’’:

“How do I look?”

“Sexy in uniform.” Gwaine nodded appreciatively.

“Oh god, it’s too much isn’t it? The dress uniform? I need to changed don’t I? I’m changing into my combat boots, these shoes look to shiny. Or maybe I should just go in jeans, Arthur will recognize me, no need to make it a big fancy ‘hey I’m coming home’ thing. Oh god he’ll think I’m an utter twat-”

“Merlin!” Gwaine shouted, “You’re fine! You’re fine! You look great. Arthur won’t know what to do with himself once he sees you. Stop panicking.”

:’’:

“How’s Merlin?” Leon asked as he sipped his beer.

“Well. I talked to him a week ago but he said something about a mission. He’ll text me next time he can.”

“How long has he been deployed?”

“Seven months.”

            “Oh god, I’d die without Morgana for that long.” Arthur ignored the fact that he had been compared to a married couple. He couldn’t handle Merlin being away, let alone thinking about how much he loved Merlin. He had barely come to terms with himself that he loved Merlin. The testament that he would wait eight months for him stood strong, though.

            “It’s not that bad.” Arthur shrugged.

“Is it really?” Leon inclined his head toward Arthur, with a raised brow.

Arthur didn’t answer. He wasn’t capable of lying to his best friend.

:’’:

“…So he kept giving me these looks throughout the entire business meeting. I’m never getting that interpreter ever again. One for each language. They say they know three languages but they don’t, the bloke was looking at me like I was an ostrich or something. I really don’t want to know what the interpreter had told him I said.”

Arthur was listening to Leon’s story about his business trip in Beijing.

Merlin took a deep breath. Gwaine pushed him. Merlin opened the door.

The music was still kind of loud and the chatter in the room increased, but Morgana had told everyone not to react too much. She hadn’t wanted the surprise ruined by someone’s shriek.

Merlin was dressed in his grey-blue uniform, his cap in hand. He wasn’t going to cry, he told himself. He hadn’t thought about that when he planned this. He wanted to rotate on his heel and flee the party and get himself under control. Gwaine saw his hesitation and ushered him forward.

Arthur’s back was to him. Leon saw Merlin but didn’t react like Morgana had ordered him.

“Hey, Arthur let me get you another beer.” Leon grabbed Arthur’s bottle, afraid it might shatter when he saw Merlin.

“Thanks mate, but this one’s still full.” Leon still took it out of his hands.

Merlin felt his heart pick up speed at the sound of Arthur’s voice, clear, without the static of long distance.

“Nah,” Leon grinned, “I think you want me to hold it.”

Arthur let go of his beer like he was afraid Leon had gone mad. “What wrong with you?”

At this point the sea of people had parted and a slight circle had formed. Arthur saw Leon’s gaze just as he heard Merlin say “Don’t get my boyfriend too drunk, Leon, I like him awake and sober thank you very much.”

Arthur spun around. “ _Merlin_.”

“Hey.” Merlin gave a small smile.

Merlin felt Arthur in his arms before he realized either of them had moved toward one another. Merlin dropped his hat and Arthur was grateful he didn’t have his beer in hand. Arthur pressed his face to Merlin’s neck trying to hold in the tears. The emotion was so abrupt, so sudden that he had no time to prepare himself.

“You bastard” He growled into Merlin’s skin. “You didn’t tell me you were coming home early.” He sucked in a shaky breath.

Merlin laughed; he was also trying to hold in tears. Arthur pulled him into a kiss and wrapped him up in his arms. Merlin held Arthur’s face in his hands and let himself be kissed. He faintly heard the ‘awws’ and clapping in the background but Arthur was right there, warm against his chest.

Merlin felt tears on Arthur’s face. He pulled away quickly “I made you cry” he said dumbly. Arthur had never cried before.

“I missed you.” Arthur whispered, only a breath away from Merlin’s lips. Merlin was relieved to see his smile.

“I missed you too.” Merlin’s smile was marred by his tears, but it reached his eyes.

Leon let out a wolf whistle and Morgana popped open a champagne bottle.

**Author's Note:**

> Never ever posting this. So cheesy. Don’t post. Never. Ever.  
> God damn it, you posted it, didn't you? What the fuck is wrong with you, Calvin? Take that shit down immediately.


End file.
